Finding aid for the City Mission of Cleveland Records
Title:
City Mission of Cleveland Records
Repository:
Western Reserve Historical Society
Phone: 216-721-5722
http://www.wrhs.org
Creator:
The City Mission of Cleveland
Dates:
1906-2006
Quantity:
2.81 linear feet (6 containers, 3 oversize volumes, and 1 oversize folder)
Abstract:
 The City Mission of Cleveland is a nonprofit organization founded in 1910 by Mel Trotter to provide assistance and opportunities to disadvantaged residents of Cleveland, Ohio. The City Mission provides individual spiritual, emotional, and intellectual assistance, and also partners with other community programs to ensure that participants have as many opportunities as possible. The collection consists of newspaper clippings, correspondence, financial reports, flyers, interview texts, legal documents, meeting minutes, newsletters, notes, programs, reports, and scrapbooks.
Identification:
MS 5009
Location:
closed stacks
Language:
The records are in English

History of The City Mission of Cleveland

The City Mission of Cleveland is a nonprofit organization founded in 1910 that provides assistance and opportunities to disadvantaged people in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded by Mel Trotter (a missionary who had been helped by Pacific Mission in Chicago), The City Mission was originally housed in a former saloon at 1135 Superior Avenue. After a few location changes, the Mission moved to its current location at 5310 Carnegie Avenue in December of 1991.

The goal of The City Mission is to help those in need to recover from their individual crises and improve their lives through the Christian church. The City Mission provides physical assistance (such as hot meals and shelter) and opportunities to break the bonds of poverty and dependency by helping clients meet their spiritual, emotional and intellectual needs. Assistance from the Mission is individualized, and the organization partners with other community programs to ensure that participants have as many opportunities as possible.


click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the City Mission of Cleveland

Scope and Content

The City Mission of Cleveland Records, 1906-2006 and undated, consist of newspaper clippings, correspondences, financial reports, flyers, interview texts, legal documents, meeting minutes, newsletters, notes, programs, reports, and scrapbooks.

This collection is of value to researchers studying the history of Cleveland, Ohio, and issues related to homelessness and poverty. Researchers interested in nonprofit organizations and the programs of The City Mission in Cleveland will find this collection useful. Those interested in Christian organizations operating charitable organizations in the twentieth century will also find this collection to be of great value. Topics such as the acquisition of new City Mission location in Grand Valley Ranch, fundraising, Laura's Home, various Mission events, and the financial state of The City Mission are documented in this collection. The youth ministry work of Harry Banfield is also documented in this collection.

Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in seven series.
Series I: Bequests is arranged chronologically.
Series II: Board of Trustees and Financial Information is arranged chronologically.
Series III: Correspondence is arranged in two sub-series.
Sub-Series A: General is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Sub-series B: Reverend Clifton Gregory is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series IV: Subject Files is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series V: Grand Valley Ranch is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series VI: Scrapbooks is arranged chronologically.
Series VII: Legal is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Separated Material: Separated Material

All photographs have been removed to PG 546 The City Mission of Cleveland Photographs


Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Banfield, Harry.
Church work -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Church work with prisoners -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
City Mission (Cleveland, Ohio)
City missions -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Gregory, Clifton, d. 1998.
Homeless persons -- Services for -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Missions -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Poor -- Services for -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Spiritual retreat centers -- Ohio -- Ashtabula County.
Trotter, Melvin E. (Melvin Earnest), 1870-1940.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5009 The City Mission of Cleveland Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gifts of the City Mission of Cleveland in 1996 and 2007.

Processing Information

Processed by Jenna Ogden and Alicia Pavelecky in 2008.


Detailed Description of The Collection



Series I: Bequests, 1952-1993

Box 1 / Folder 1-8
Estate and probate files, 1952-1993





Series II: Board of Trustees and Financial Information, 1910-1992

Box 1 / Folder 9-16
Minutes and related attachments, 1910




Box 2 / Folder 1-11
Minutes and related attachments, 1978-1992





Series III: Correspondence, 1960-1984




Sub-series A: General, 1964-1984

Box 2 / Folder 12
Harry Banfield, camp issues, executive director, and "Old Timers" reunion, 1964-1984







Sub-series B: Reverend Clifton Gregory, 1948-1983

Box 2 / Folder 13-14
Alphabetical by individual last name, A-Z, 1960-1970




Box 2 / Folder 15
Foundations, miscellaneous, and youth ministry, 1948-1983





Series IV: Subject Files, 1929-2006

Box 2 / Folder 16
Angeline Christian Home, anniversaries, and annual reports, 1931-2003




Box 3 / Folder 1-13
Appeal, acquisition of East 55th and Cedar property, banquets, William Brown, building fund sources, capital campaigns, Church Participation Program, The City Mission Messenger, Concord Councilors, The Cross Amid Steins, deaths, Easter services, guides, His Hands newsletter, International Union of Gospel Missions, Invitation to Cleveland, Laura's Home, legal document, and letters to friends (oversize material removed to Oversize Folder 1), 1929-2006




Box 4 / Folder 1-9
Letters to friends, miscellaneous, newspaper clippings, open houses, oral history transcript, performances, Reaching the Forgotten, roster of Cuyahoga County churches, George Soerheide, Sunday School Secretary Book, testimonials, Rev. A. C. Vad De Velde, video production, and Youth Program (oversize material removed to Oversize Folder 1), 1913-2004





Series V: Grand Valley Ranch, 1967-1996; undated

Box 4 / Folder 10-15
Architect and Building Committee, commodity agreements, donations, donor lists, Grand Valley Christian Center, milk reimbursements, miscellaneous, and real estate (oversize material removed to Oversize Folder 1), 1967-1996





Series VI: Scrapbooks, 1906-2004

Box 5 / Folder 1-9
untitled, "1938 scrapbook compiled by Milford E. Barker," Annual Spring Banquet, Laura's Home, Connection magazine, International Union of Gospel Missions, 1906-2004




Box 6-8
Oversize scrapbooks removed from Container 5, folders 1, 2, and 3, 1906-1945





Series VII: Legal, 1906-1990

Box 9 / Folder 1-5
Angeline Christian Home, articles of incorporation, certificate of continued existence, constitution of City Mission, East St. Clair property appraisal, Geneva on the Lake property, Sub Lot 3 mortgage deed, Sub Lots 3 and 4 documents; tax exemption papers, Wakefield Property acquisition, and West St. Clair property, 1906-1990